Langley and Abbotsford pro-life groups join forces and reveal plans to expand their services
Keynote speaker Shawn Carney (back row, third from left) stands among
young pro-life activists from local universities and organizations.
Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.
Two pro-life societies are merging, and their first order of business is to open a pregnancy centre. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Pope speaks at UN in Kenya
Pope Francis climbs the steps to the altar as he prepares to celebrate
Mass on the campus of the University of Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya, Nov.
26. CNS / Paul Haring.
Speaking at the United Nations office in Nairobi, Kenya, Pope Francis said on Thursday that working together is necessary to conquer problems, whether in the realms of politics, health, or development. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Restaurant to sponsor Syrian refugees
Highlevel Diner waitress Jessica Bulger and owner Kim Franklin are
helping to raise money to sponsor Syrian refugees. Thandiwe Konguavi /
Western Catholic Reporter (CCN).
Running a popular Edmonton diner, Kim Franklin sees a lot of faces and knows a lot of people in the city. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Saint is everywhere, with even a high school named after him
A chapel marks the spot where St. Thomas Aquinas was born and spent his
youth, near the ruins of the castle of the Counts of Aquino at
Roccasecca. Tourists are free to roam through the rubble of the old
castle. J.P. Sonnen / The B.C. Catholic.
St. Thomas Aquinas has many admirers, young and old. I was always a fan, even before I graduated from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
In Australia, bishops face legal complaint for defending marriage
Bishop Anthony Fisher, known for coordinating the 2008 World Youth Day
in Sydney, is pictured at the Vatican in this Feb. 21, 2013, file photo.
CNS photo / Paul Haring.
The Sydney archbishop has strongly defended the freedom of the Catholic Church in response to a legal complaint claiming the Australian bishops' pastoral letter on marriage violated Tasmania's strict anti-discrimination law. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Thornhill parish beacon of hope for Mideast refugees
Rami Kaai, third from left, leads a team of volunteers at Thornhill's
Jesus the King Parish bringing refugee families to Canada. Photo
courtesy of Hikmat Dandan (CCN).
Every day Rami Kaai receives at least 50 phone calls from Christian refugees in the Middle East who plead for his help in coming to Canada. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Goal was $500, but total came to $960.80 before matching by federal government
Belle Kwan (left) and Cheryl Hu, students at St. Francis Xavier
Elementary School, sell baked goods to raise money to help Syrian
refugees. The bake sale was advertised throughout the school during its
weekly assemblies. Kathleen Lim / Special to The B.C. Catholic.
A local elementary class held a bake sale to help Syrian refugees. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Pope Francis: while worldly kingdoms dominate, Christ's kingdom liberates
Members of the Carabinieri, the Italian military police force, stand
guard as people leave after receiving Pope Francis's blessing in St.
Peter's Square Nov. 22. Security at the Vatican has increased since the
Nov. 13 terrorist attack in Paris. CNS photo / Paul Haring.
In a world which employs "weapons of fear" and manipulation, the strength of Christ's kingdom is founded in truth and love, Pope Francis said in his Sunday Angelus address, during which he also remembered persecuted Christians. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
We wait for the Pope to speak: Archbishop Durocher
Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher of Gatineau spoke on the two synods on
the family he participated in at The Synod My Family conference Nov.
19-21 at Dominican College in Ottawa. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
The kind of broad consultation that preceded the two synods on the family is "part of the reality of the Church now," Gatineau Archbishop Durocher told an Ottawa conference Nov. 21. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Father Mako Watanabe, a prison chaplain, has seen convicts become converts
Father Mako Watanabe, a prison chaplain (right), stands with Archbishop
Miller and ministry coordinators Maureen Donegan and Germaine Solaiman
during the prison ministry's development day Nov. 7. Agnieszka
Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.
A visit to prison can be a deep encounter with mercy. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Compassion vs. security: what should U.S. do with Syrian refugees?
Migrants from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan arrive at the transit and
registration camp in the town of Presevo, southern Serbia, Nov. 24. They
will undergo an extensive vetting process before being allowed into the
United States. CNS photo / Djordje Savic, EPA.
As the U.S. plans to increase its intake of Syrian refugees to 10,000 next year, Americans, including Catholics, are trying to balance national security concerns with compassion for the refugees. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
CWL/CNEWA Holy Land pilgrimage reveals challenges
The CWL group shown after praying for peace at Israel's separation wall
where Pope Francis prayed on his way to Bethlehem in May 2014. Barbara
Dowding is last on the right, in front of Archbishop Martin Currie.
Photo courtesy CNEWA / (CCN).
A Catholic Women's League (CWL) pilgrimage to the Holy Land has revealed the challenges facing Holy Land Christians, but also great hope, says CWL president Barb Dowding. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
He believed students should graduate with a diploma in one hand and a rosary in the other
Students visit Charles Jacobs in October. It is estimated he donated
20,000 rosaries to grads since 2001. Photo submitted to The B.C.
Catholic.
A St. Stephen's parishioner who has been giving away rosaries to graduating students since 2001 has died. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Pope names first Catholic bishop of an ordinariate for former Anglicans
Msgr. Jeffrey N. Steenson of the Catholic Church's U.S. ordinariate for
former Anglicans receives an Anglican into the Catholic Church in 2012.
CNS photo / Nancy Phelan Wiechec.
Pope Francis has named Msgr. Steven Lopes, a Catholic priest from California, the Bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, the Anglican Ordinariate in the United States and Canada. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Assisted death panel's mandate change alarms euthanasia opponents
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.
Changes to the mandate of the panel consulting the public about doctor-assisted death have euthanasia opponents concerned about where the Liberal government will seek advice. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Creative community of nuns at Queen of Peace Monastery produces pots, carvings, icons, books
Sister Mary Magdalen Coughlin, OP, makes clay pots in her studio at
Queen of Peace Monastery. "It's like watching a little miracle take
place," she said. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.
A Dominican sister says she sees little miracles when she's clad in a work habit and sitting at a potter's wheel. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Cardinal Parolin speaks out on ISIS threats
Police stand guard outside the Bataclan music hall in Paris Nov. 16. The
Islamic State claimed responsibility for a Nov. 13 attack on the hall.
CNS photo / Paul Haring.
In wake of Friday's violent terror attacks in Paris, the Vatican's Secretary of State said that while the small country is also on extremists' horizons, they won't let themselves be "paralyzed" by fear. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Bishop Bolen stresses dialogue in addressing mining concerns
Bishop Don Bolen of Saskatoon, the chairman of the CCCB's justice and
peace commission, addresses a symposium on mining at Saint Paul
University.
At the "Mining: We must talk" symposium in Ottawa on Nov. 19, Bishop Don Bolen of Saskatoon stressed the importance of dialogue in addressing problems Canadian companies cause in the global south. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Knights council #1081 founded an organization to help house seniors; first residents came in 1990
Mary Nezil (left) stands with Archbishop Miller, Bernadette Battle, and
Marisa Ku at the door to the boardroom named in honour of her late
husband, Walter Nezil. Photo submitted.
A Knights of Columbus council is celebrating a quarter of a century of caring for seniors. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
When the pain is too great, we cling to God: Paris archbishop
A memorial at the Place de la Republique in Paris Nov. 15. CNS photo / Lucie Brousseau.
During Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, the archbishop of Paris said that despite the uncertainty and grief surrounding the terrorist attacks in the city last week, God is the source of strength and hope. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Food bank use up, especially in Alberta
Katharine Schmidt, executive director of Food Banks Canada, said food
bank use in Alberta has gone up a shocking 23 per cent in the last year.
This year's HungerCourt 2015 report reveals food bank use in Canada has risen for the second consecutive year and remains at near record levels. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
24-year-old woman from Belgium chooses not to end her life
A recent documentary shows Emily, from Bruges, Belgium,
has chosen not to go through with her scheduled death.
In August, we brought you the story of a woman named "Laura" who was physically healthy but sought to end her life under Belgium's euthanasia laws.
She applied for euthanasia on the grounds of psychiatric suffering and got the required consent from three doctors. Then, it appears she changed her mind about the lethal injection.
The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition reports that Emily (her real name) hasn't decided to die yet.
"When Dr. Proot arrived, we talked. I said calmly, 'I cannot do it.' Because the previous two weeks were relatively bearable. They were free from crises. I don't know why."
A recent documentary titled 24 & Ready to Die, by The Economist, shows Emily's story.
The community plays a large role in supplying food and funds for families of the working poor
Ron Leger (left) hands the keys to the completed building to Archbishop
J. Michael Miller, CSB, and Father Joseph Nguyen, pastor of St. Joseph's
Parish. Bob Friesen / Mission Record.
After more than six years of development and planning, a food bank has opened up a new building to continue feeding the needy. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Pope to Church: Don't act like you're on lockdown
Pope Francis is seen on a screen during his weekly general audience in
St. Peter's Square Nov. 18. CNS photo / Tony Gentile, Reuters.
Pope Francis Wednesday centred his weekly catechesis on the upcoming Year of Mercy, urging the Church not only to keep its doors open, but to go out to those who may not have the strength to enter. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Security experts alarmed at Trudeau's stand on refugees and ISIS
Prime Minister Trudeau and his cabinet on foot in the open, concentrated
in a group, could have been dispatched with one rocket-launched
grenade, security expert David B. Harris says. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
Despite the Nov. 13 Paris terror attacks, Justin Trudeau remains committed to ending the air campaign against ISIS and to bringing in 25,000 Syrian refugees by year end, dismaying security experts. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Attendees prepare for the sacrament of confirmation with a day of games, music, and prayer
The band WAL (We are Loved) invited the attendees to participate in
praise and worship during the 2015 Spirit Day. Formerly known as the
Jacob and Matthew Band, they had performed at five previous Spirit Days.
Joshua Tng / The B.C. Catholic.
Grade 7 students fanned the flames of baptism by receiving the Eucharist at an annual youth rally. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Chilean abortion plan is 'a trap for the gullible,' cardinal says
Cardinals Angelo Scola of Milan and Gerhard Muller, prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, talk as they leave the final
session of the Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 24.
CNS photo / Paul Haring.
Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, firmly rejected a proposal to legalize abortion in Chile, calling it "a trap for the gullible." For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Groups preparing for climate march welcome news of first ministers meeting
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Nov. 12 he had convened a first
ministers meeting on climate change for Nov. 23, in advance of climate
change meetings in Paris in December. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
Groups preparing for a climate change march Nov. 29 on Parliament Hill welcomed news of a first ministers meeting on climate change prior to the COP21 talks in Paris. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Conference marks 50 years since significant Vatican II document, Nostra Aetate
Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, (centre, back) meets with 14 other
faith leaders from across the province to start a new organization Nov.
4. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.
The Church officially denounced anti-Semitism and urged better relations with other religions in a document half a century ago. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Pope Francis: Christian joy comes from going against the tide
Pope Francis gestures during lunch with the poor at the Mensa di San
Francesco Poverino, a charity centre run by Caritas, in Florence, Italy,
Nov. 10. CNS photo / L'Osservatore Romano, handout.
Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Florence Nov. 10, saying that joy comes from discerning the real Jesus from the image offered by distorted philosophies of God, popular only for a short time. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Home the place of healing
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. Blake Sittler / Prairie Messenger (CCN).
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines spoke at the World Meeting of Families about the painful situations of loneliness, poverty, illness, addiction, and other issues. His talk at the Sept. 22-25 international gathering in Philadelphia was entitled "The Family: A Home for the Wounded Heart." For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Father Caesarius Marple known as gentle, loving, and skilled in music
The new priest gives his blessing to all comers. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.
The congregation was speckled with poppies as it celebrated the ordination of Father Caesarius Marple, OSB. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Eat with your family, not with your smartphone, Pope says
A family prays together before a meal. A family that watches TV or plays
with smartphones rather than talk at the dinner table is "hardly a
family," Pope Francis said. CNS photo / Karen Callaway, Catholic New
World.
Pope Francis said the dinner table is a key place to strengthen family bonds and foster a sense of "togetherness," which can often be thwarted by an excess attachment to technology. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Discerning God's will when either choice is good can be difficult
Father Timothy Gallagher, OSV, gave a retreat on Ignatian discernment to about 150 people in Ottawa Nov. 4. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
Discerning God's will when one choice is clearly immoral is easy, but discerning among good options can be helped by advice from St. Ignatius, Father Timothy Gallagher told a retreat in Ottawa Nov. 4. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Young Italian travels to U.S.A. to seek English lessons, finds a calling to religious life
Sister Angela Marie Castellani, FSE, interacts with students at St. Mark's College. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.
What began as the pursuit of English lessons has turned into a lifetime vocation for an Italian lawyer. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Magazine calls Our Lady a 'most powerful woman'
The Assumption of Mary is represented above an altar in the Basilica of
Our Lady of the Rosary in Lourdes, France, in this 2014 photo. CNS photo
/ Gunther Simmermacher, The Southern Cross.
Our Lady. Blessed Mother. Virgin Mary. Queen of Peace. Theotokos. Handmaid of the Lord. Mother Mary. These are just some of the titles used to describe the young woman to whom an angel appeared some 2,000 years ago with the message that she would conceive and bear the Saviour of the World. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Vespers for religious held
Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity were among the more than 40
religious communities honoured at an evening prayer service Oct. 18 at
St. Mary's Cathedral, in thanks for their long service to the
Archdiocese of Winnipeg. James Buchok / Prairie Messenger (CCN).
The religious communities that have served the Archdiocese of Winnipeg over the past 100 years were honoured Oct. 18 with an evening prayer service at St. Mary's Cathedral in Winnipeg, and, by divine coincidence, while The Year of Consecrated Life continues to be observed. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Rosemary Heights to shut its doors after serving for 23 years
The Light of the World Meditation Garden at Rosemary Heights. BCC file photo.
The only archdiocesan retreat centre is going to close after 23 years of operation. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Pope Francis to pro-life activists: you are the world's Good Samaritans
Pope Francis waves during a private audience with members of Italy's
pro-life movements at the Vatican Nov. 6. CNS photo / L'Osservatore
Romano, via Reuters.
Pope Francis praised pro-life activists as "Good Samaritans" to the most vulnerable, citing their commitment to defending life at all stages and their role in affirming the dignity of women. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
New cabinet already moving quickly on major promises
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reaches for the hand of one of his
children as he and his new cabinet walk the driveway to Rideau Hall for
their swearing in Nov. 4. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
The new Liberal government is moving ahead on its promises, including its promise to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees by Christmas. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
New initiative, Crypt of Holy Angels, promotes using a secure, sacred space for ashes of the dead
Church teaching does not permit scattering ashes, and it's a message that Catholic Cemeteries has been finding new, innovative ways to spread. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Pope Francis explains why he won't sell the Church's 'treasures'
Pope Francis delivers the homily as he celebrates Mass in the chapel of
the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse at the Vatican Nov. 6. CNS photo /
L'Osservatore Romano, handout.
In an interview ranging from fame to finances to his childhood dreams, Pope Francis explained that despite his strong concern for the poor, he will not sell the "riches of the Church." For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Sense of history undergoing transformation
Bishop Donald Bolen
The Diocese of Saskatoon and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS), through the leadership of the Diocesan Council of Truth and Reconciliation, recently conducted a Day of Prayer for Reconciliation and Healing. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Archbishop's dinner speaks on the importance of future priests
In 2001, the Archdiocese of Vancouver circulated the "Vocations Prayer". At the time, there were 14 men studying to become priests. This number has more than doubled, now reaching 29 men. The video, which can be seen above, was shown during the 2015 Archbishop's Dinner to promote the St. John Vianney Fund for Priestly Formation.
“The world looks to the priest, because it looks to Jesus! No one can see Christ; but everyone sees the priest, and through him they wish to catch a glimpse of the Lord! Immense is the grandeur of the Lord! Immense is the grandeur and dignity of the priest!” Saint John Paul II, Rome, October 13, 1979
The new fund is designed to help seminarians complete their priestly studies. The total cost for priestly formation is around $99,100 or $35 per day.
Deacon says he feels at peace and not at all nervous
Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, lays his hands on Frater Caesarius
Marple, OSB, during his ordination as a deacon at Westminster Abbey Aug.
31, 2014. Deacon Paul Goo, now Father Goo, looks on. Photo submitted.
He became a Benedictine monk, then a deacon, and now Frater Caesarius Marple is about to become a priest. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Leak of classified docs is illegal, Vatican says
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, the papal spokesman, is pictured
during an Oct. 26 press conference at the Vatican. CNS photo / Paul
Haring.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, said the recent stealing and leaking of confidential information about Pope Francis's pontificate is illegal, and he charged that it had been done in order to create confusion. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Refugee issues top of mind for Christian religious leaders
Syrian refugees walk at Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of
Mafraq, near the border with Syria, Nov. 1. The UN refugee agency
reports that currently about 100 Syrians return home nearly every day
from Jordan. CNS photo / Muhammad Hamed, Reuters.
Canada's Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Council of Churches sent congratulations and a wish list to Prime Minister Trudeau Nov. 4, highlighting climate change and poverty. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Corinna Siy said a conversion experience after World Youth Day changed the way she sees giving
Corinna Siy (second from right) attends the International Catholic
Stewardship Council conference in Chicago Oct. 22-25. Next to her
(centre of photo) is Barbara Dowding, the first director of the
Stewardship Office of the archdiocese. Ronald Siy / Special to The B.C.
Catholic.
A personal conversion drives Corinna Siy to keep on giving back to her community and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Forgiveness in family has power to rebuild society, Pope says
Pope Francis greets a clown during his general audience in St. Peter's Square. CNS photo / Paul Haring.
Delivering his Wednesday general audience address a little more than a week after the close of the Synod on the Family, Pope Francis spoke on the role of forgiveness in helping families become a force for the betterment of society. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Justin Trudeau and his new cabinet sworn in
Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and his new cabinet
took a bus to Rideau Hall and walked up to the Governor General's
residence for their swearing in. Hundreds lined the road to greet them.
Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his new 30-member cabinet face big challenges as the new Liberal government now faces which promises to make reality say observers. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Blessed Sacrament Church is earthquake-safe and more beautiful, thanks to massive renovation
Large altar made of white marble stands near the centre. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.
A decades-old French church has become a seismically safer liturgical wonder. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
Pope Francis to visit Mexico in February, according to Mexican cardinal
Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City distributes Communion
during Mass in early May at Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral. Pope
Francis will visit Mexico in February. It will be the Pontiff's first
trip to the very Catholic country, said Cardinal Rivera. CNS photo /
Ricardo Castelan, EPA.
Pope Francis will visit Mexico City in February 2016, Cardinal Norberto Rivera announced on Sunday. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
40 Days for Life campaign not deterred, despite change
Between 50 and 75 people took part in the closing rally of the 40 Days for Life campaign in Ottawa. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
As Ottawa's 9th 40 Days for Life campaign ended Nov. 1, organizers committed to keep momentum, especially since the election of a Liberal government that refused pro-life candidates. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
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